Small, fast, and tough: Shrinking down integrated elastomer transducers

Rosset, Samuel; Shea, Herbert

doi:10.1063/1.4963164

Cited by 125 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…DEAs have evolved from relatively simple geometries to more complex, integrated structures. Examples can be found in the fields of tuneable optics, biomedical applications, and microfluidics 3 . Generally these structures are smaller in scale (millimetre) and require new fabrication techniques to be realized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inkjet printing of carbon black electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

2017

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Inkjet printing is an appealing technique to print electrodes for Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs). Here we present the preparation and ink-jet printing of a carbon black electrode mixture and characterise its properties. Carbon black has been used extensively in the past because it is very compliant; however, it has a high resistance and can be very dirty to work with. In this paper we show that carbon black remains an appropriate electrode material, and when inkjet printed can be used to fabricate devices meeting today's demanding requirements. DEAs are becoming thinner to decrease actuation voltages and are shrinking in size to match the scale of the devices in the biomedical field, tuneable optics, and microfluidics. Inkjet printing addresses both of these problems. Firstly, Inkjet printing is a non-contact technique and can print on very thin freestanding membranes. Secondly, the high precision of inkjet printers makes it possible to print complex electrode geometries in the millimetre scale. We demonstrate the advantages of inkjet printing and carbon black electrodes by conducting a full characterisation of the printed electrodes. The printed carbon black electrodes have resistances as low as 13kΩ/□, an elastic modulus of approximately 1MPa, and a cyclic resistance swing which increases by 7% over 1500 cycles at 50% stretch. We also demonstrate a DEA with printed carbon black electrodes with a diametral stretch of 8.8% at an electric field of approximately 94V/µm. Finally a qualitative test is conducted to show that the printed carbon black electrode is extremely hardwearing.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inkjet printing of carbon black electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

2017

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“…Soft lenses with electrically tunable focal length ( 29 , 30 ) may have applications ranging from consumer electronics to biomimetic robots ( 31 – 33 ). Our approach (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Instant tough bonding of hydrogels for soft machines and electronics

et al. 2017

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“…[1][2][3][4] State-of-the-art DETs are based on elastomer membranes with micrometer thickness and are often fabricated by spin-coating, doctor-blading, or PAD-printing. 5,6 These DETs need to be operated at hundreds of volts to reach strains above 20%. 7,8 Recently, 200-nm-thin DETs have been manufactured using molecular beam deposition and operated at 12 V.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conducting and stretchable nanometer-thin gold/thiol-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane films

2018

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Abstract. Future low-voltage dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs), based on nanometer-thin elastomer membranes, will rely on soft and compliant electrodes with reasonable electrical conductivity and sound adhesion to the elastomer. State-of-the-art adhesion promoters, including nanometer-thin Cr/Ti films, result in defects for applied areal strains larger than 3% and lead to increases in the stiffness of DETs. To generate forces in the Newton range, these low-voltage DETs have to be stacked in thousands of layers. Herein, we present a compliant electrode, which consists of gold bonded covalently to thiol-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (SH-PDMS) films. The membranes were fabricated using molecular beam deposition and in situ and/or subsequent ultraviolet light (UV) radiation. Peel-off tests demonstrate the expected strong binding of Au to the SH-PDMS network, with this highly stretchable Au/SH-PDMS layer capable of withstanding strains of at least 60%, without losing conductivity. Optical micrographs show signs of cracks for strained pure Au and Au/Cr electrodes but not for the Au/SH-PDMS layer. The mechanical properties and adhesion forces of Au/SH-PDMS were extracted by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), using a spherical Au tip coated with methyl groups (CH 3 ). The elastic modulus of ð12 AE 9Þ MPa increased slightly against the 20-nm-thin Au/PDMS example, but it can be tailored by the cross-linking density of Au/SH-PDMS via the UV irradiation dose. Unloading nanoindentation curves revealed pull-off forces between the CH 3 -functionalized AFM tip and the Au/SH-PDMS layer at the time of separation. For Au/SH-PDMS, the spectral distribution of pull-off forces exhibits repulsive forces with the CH 3 groups of the PDMS network as well as adhesive forces resulting from interactions with the nanometer-sized Au clusters. This approach provides the means to bind gold clusters homogenously within the SH-PDMS film. Such compliant electrodes are the prerequisite for fabricating low-voltage DETs that can be stretched by more than 50%.

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Small, fast, and tough: Shrinking down integrated elastomer transducers

Cited by 125 publications

References 119 publications

Inkjet printing of carbon black electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

Inkjet printing of carbon black electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

Instant tough bonding of hydrogels for soft machines and electronics

Conducting and stretchable nanometer-thin gold/thiol-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane films

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